ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – King tides over the next several days, combined with the potential for severe weather from the outskirts of Hurricane Isaias, could combine for major flooding in St. Augustine.
A king tide is an exceptionally high tide that happens when the moon is closest to Earth, and when storms push water toward shore, that extra high tide can make flooding worse.
The city of St. Augustine has warned residents on social media that if a road is flooded, they should find another route.
News4JAX was out at the Bridge of Lions across the Matanzas River in downtown St. Augustine on Friday morning keeping a close eye on the water levels.
High tide reached about 5½ feet just before 8:15 a.m.
The Florida Department of Transportation is working on a nearly $20 million project to replace the aging seawall. That work started in June and stretches from the Bridge of Lions toward Charlotte Street.
One of the goals is to better protect A1A from king tides like the ones the area is experiencing this week.
But that project isn’t expected to be finished until fall of next year.
So with king tides expected through Tuesday, the city of St. Augustine posted a warning on Facebook, saying that if you absolutely have to drive through standing water, slow down.
That’s because your vehicle can create waves that push water farther onto neighboring properties and toward people’s homes.
Also beware of driving through salt water because it can destroy your car.
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